


Blood of My Blood

by sassenach_on_the_rocks51



Category: Assassin's Creed - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Mentions of blood and gore, Past Assault is Mentioned but not Shown, Past Sexual Assault
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-24
Updated: 2019-12-24
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:14:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21928801
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sassenach_on_the_rocks51/pseuds/sassenach_on_the_rocks51
Summary: DO NOT REPOST/REUSE MY WORK(S) WITHOUT MY PERMISSION .THIS INCLUDES APPSThis is a work of fiction, created for entertainment purposes only.With the Italian Brotherhood decimated after the fall of Monteriggioni, Machiavelli calls upon the services of a well know Spanish Assassin to help Ezio get the Brotherhood back on its feet. This Assassin is beautiful, skilled beyond measure, but carries a secret, a secret that if it comes out, could undo all that Ezio and the others have worked for.
Relationships: Ezio Auditore da Firenze/Reader
Comments: 13
Kudos: 31





	Blood of My Blood

It had been a long night and it was proving to be longer.

Reading through the numerous reports from Monteriggioni, Machiavelli hoped one of them would have good news, but it only seemed to get worse. The feeling of despair in his stomach grew and grew with each wax seal that he broke that he felt it would never end.

So many hurt. So many dead. So much destroyed that it was hard telling if the small village would be able to recover. Cesare Borgia had shown no mercy as he had promised and then some.

Mario Auditore was dead, shot through and his head paraded like a gruesome trophy according to the reports. Claudia and her mother Maria had escaped unharmed and were on their way to Roma now, where Machiavelli knew they would be able to seek shelter. That was the best news he could find.

Then there was Ezio himself. It had taken awhile to get news of him, but it wasn’t good news. Ezio was alive but gravely injured and there was no telling if he would pull through. And even if he did pull through, there was still the matter of the Apple of Eden itself, now in Borgia hands.

Machiavelli considered the options, what few he had. With the Italian Brotherhood decimated, there was no way to continue the fight without help. He could call upon the other factions in France and Britain, but he knew they were stretched thin as well. Not only that, but with the Borgias power growing by the day, this would require the help of someone extraordinary.

He knew of such an assassin. One that was renewed through the region for their skills. A member of the Spanish Brotherhood, they were famous for being able to quickly master any weapon, to be able to move almost without sound. There was no one who knew the Borgia better than her.

This assassin nicknamed “La Tormenta” (The Storm) might well be their only chance at not only rebuilding the Italian Brotherhood but stopping the Borgia once and for all. If they could be spared. Now, Machiavelli knew she was working as an Ambassador between Italy and Spain. Machiavelli was loathed to take this next step, but he could ill afford to let what happened at Monteriggioni happen again.

Grabbing paper and ink, he penned a short letter explaining what had happened and how with Mario Auditore now dead and Ezio clinging to life, the Italian brotherhood was in dire need of help and if she could help, he would be forever in her debt. Sealing the letter in wax, he gave it to his most trusted courier and sent them on their way, hoping that the letter would reach its recipient soon and that Ezio would survive.

Survive he did, but not without great cost. Once he was able to move, Ezio made his way to Roma, his mind and heart filled with vengeance. Though he recovered for the most part, still after a few weeks, the pain of his wounds remained and he soon realized, to his dismay, that he wasn’t quite as nimble as he was before. As much as he wanted to simply write it off and as much as the others reminded him that some of it was due to age, there was no denying that the Siege at Monteriggioni had cost more than Ezio could have imagined.

Adding to Ezio’s concerns were the fact that he had received word from Machiavelli that because of the siege, he had requested some assistance from the Spanish Brotherhood to assist Ezio in his endeavors. Ezio did his best to explain to Machiavelli that he was back to his normal self and would need no such assistance, but the deed was already done and that the Master Assassin known as “La Tormenta” would be arriving any day now.

Since he could do nothing but wait now, Ezio decided he needed some fresh air. Walking through Roma with nothing to do Ezio decided this was as good a day as any to test his progress. So, he looked about for a quiet spot in which to do so. Finding one in a back alley, he stretched a bit and decided to proceed.

The building itself wasn’t too tall and had parts that would allow Ezio to scale it. He took a deep breath, launched himself up and grabbed a hold of the first ledge. Carefully he started to climb up. He got about halfway up when as he reached for another ledge, the muscles in his left side seized up and caused him to lose his grip.

Ezio frantically tried to grab another ledge on his way down, but his hands wouldn’t cooperate and closed his eyes braced himself for the pain of hitting the ground. But when he landed, it wasn’t as hard as he expected. He felt himself hit something, but what he hit…

“Easy there, Signore.” A light, gentle voice teased out of the darkness

Ezio opened his eyes and looked up to see that he was being held up by a rather lovely woman, dressed in assassin robes, her long hair pulled back in an elaborate braid. Studying your features, though he didn’t know you, he could have sworn he had seen you before, your features were so familiar to him.

“Are you injured Signore?” You asked lifting him up, as you looked him over for any signs of blood, spotting none.

“Just my pride.” Ezio winced as he rubbed his still aching side. He knew that pain wasn’t going to go away quickly.

“Are you quite sure?”

“I am.” Ezio smiled a bit at your concern for him. As he took in the sight of your black and red robes, elaborate, and clearly made of expensive cloth, even more so than his own, he caught sight of the insignia of the Spanish Brotherhood and put it all together.

“Are you the one called La Tormenta?”

“I am Signore. But you may call me “Y/F/N” You replied, flashing a smile that Ezio couldn’t help but think was familiar. Charming, yet familiar.

“Just (Y/N)..” He asked, curious.

“Yes.”

“Why just (Y/N) if I may ask?” He inquired; his curiosity even more piqued.

“It’s for the best” You replied a bit quickly, instantly making Ezio wonder what kind of family you must have belonged to in order to not claim them openly.

“Well then, just (Y/N) You may call me Ezio Auditore da Firenze.”

Shaking his hand, you smiled and said “A pleasure to finally meet you. Word about you has spread far.”

“Have you been in Roma long?” He asked.

“I only arrived just this morning. I was on my way to Tiber Island when I caught sight of you.” You said, as you appraised the man you knew to be Ezio. He was certainly handsome, more so than had been reported.

“Shall I show you around?” Ezio asked, eager to get to know you more.

“Lead the way.”

Walking through the busy streets, Ezio showed you all the sights and made small talk with you, already hoping that he was charming you and hoping you didn’t think any less of him for the earlier mishap. As he showed you around, you took stock of the state of Roma itself, with its boarded-up shops and beloved monuments in disrepair., seeing how deeply the enemies hold on the city was.

After a time, Ezio decided it was time to get down to business and said, “Machiavelli tells me that you are an expert on the Borgias.”

“I am Signore.. In fact, I would go so far as to call them my life’s work.”

“Why?”

“Because like you Signore, I’ve seen just how depraved and dangerous they truly are. Nothing would give me greater pleasure than to see them fall. And if you would allow me to assist you Signore, I believe that together we can topple them once and for all.”

Ezio couldn’t argue with that. He had already been in Roma long enough to know that the two of you had your work cut out for you.

“Okay, I agree. But I must warn you, we don’t have much to start with” Ezio noted.

“Oh, we have more than you might think Signore.” You said as the two of you reached one of the markets. “Look around you Signore. What do you see?”

“What do you mean?”

It was mid-day and the market was full of those carrying on about their businesses, visiting vendors. Though the market was full, many of the people didn’t stop to chat with others. Many looked as if they couldn’t wait to be done. Many were uneasy by the presence of the local guards passing through.

“I see a lot of people…” He said, not sure where you were going with this.

“Yes, but they all have something in common. They have all bore the brunt of the Borgia family and their retainers in one way or another. Even if they don’t say it, they have. By themselves, they don’t have the means to take them on, but if we take them in and train them…”

“We can rebuild our numbers quickly.” Ezio realized.

“We start small. Find those who are willing to step up now and learn to fight back. From there word will spread. I can promise you, that if they learn a force is gathering, more will want to help.”

“Wont we have the Guilds?” Ezio asked, nodding to a group of thieves wandering near the market.

“Yes, but the Guilds can only do so much. And even then, they will only help if provided enough incentive. The people of Roma and others have lost so much due to the likes of Rodrigo and Cesare. And they will continue to lose more the longer they are in power. They have been in power long enough. So, what say you Signore Auditore, shall we take Roma back?”

Ezio had gone from being unsure of anything, unsure if taking back Roma was even possible. But with this beautiful Spanish Assassin working with him, for the first time since the fall of M, he felt hope for the future and not just for himself.

“The Liberation of Roma has Begun.”  
============================================================

The two of you wasted no time starting. As Ezio showed you more of Roma, the two of you would often come across other citizens in need of help, help that the two of you were more than happy to provide. Anytime that you and Ezio defeated any of the guards, you would strip them not only of their coin, but of any weapons. The first time Ezio saw this, he simply assumed you wanted a better weapon.

“You will see.” You said.

You proved to be correct in that word would quickly spread throughout the city. Often, every time you and Ezio would return to the hideout, there would be more citizens there, eager to help anyway they could. It was here that the weapons that you gathered came in handy as many of the new members had never held a sword in their lives.

“Many of them can’t afford their own. The least we can do in asking them to fight with us is to help arm them.” You explained to Ezio as he watched you hand them out.

“But how will we train them all?” He asked.

“I’ve an idea on that.”

After gathering those who had some training with swords and gaging where their levels where, you set about training them on what you knew. Once comfortable enough, you set them to training the others. Though it was tough for some, their eagerness to learn made them all into quick studies and within a few weeks, they had become more adept.

While they were being put through the paces, you and Ezio worked to organize more efforts to not only take on the Borgia but to help improve the lives of all of Roma’s citizens. After speaking with the Guilds and getting a clearer picture, you knew what had to be done, to not only take out the Borgia, but to make Roma thrive.

One afternoon at the hideout, Ezio watched as you carefully put together what looked to be a bit of a chart, detailing bits and pieces about each of the Borgia members. Everything from personal habits to favorite foods. The amount of information you had gathered was astounding.

“Are we planning on poisoning them?” Ezio joked as he went through the part of the list about their favorite foods.

“If it comes to that, yes.” You shrugged, not looking up at him.

“And just how did you gather all of this?”

“I have my ways. I know this information may not seem like much, but in my experience, any information is a good thing. You never know what will be useful.” You explained as you finished a section on Cesare, the younger of the Pope’s sons. His list was in fact the largest of them all.

“Should we focus on Rodrigo first?” Ezio asked as he watched you work.

“Rodrigo Borgia is a powerful man to be sure and under other circumstances, I would say yes.. But his greatest asset and his biggest weakness has always been his children, especially Cesare. The few times you have been around him Signore, the carnage you saw him bring down on your home, is only a fraction of what he is capable of. Therefore, he will be our biggest challenge.” You noted

“What is it that he really wants?” Ezio wondered, hoping to understand Cesare’s mindset better in the hopes of taking him down more effectively.

Crossing your arms, you said “It would be easier to list what he doesn’t want. He has been eager to take everything over for quite some time. He wants control of the family, the Papacy, the Order, even Italia itself. And that is only for starters. The man wants the world and then some. And make no mistake, he will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Even kinslaying is not out of the question for him.“

“How do you know that?” Ezio asked. He had heard the stories about how the Pope’s eldest son had been found dead in an alley, somehow even though he had some of the best guards that money could buy.

“Who else could have gotten close enough to kill his brother Juan and why no one has been punished for it, especially since Juan was so favored?” You asked archly. “Only a member of the family could have gotten that close.

Ezio couldn’t argue with your logic. Looking over the information on the others and taking it all in, he wasn’t sure where to begin with this and knowing that it would take time to build up the brotherhood, he knew that any attacks would have to wait.

“So, what do we do in the meantime?”

“We keep training and recruiting, along with gathering more weapons and robes for the novices. We will also need to prepare for a particular mission, one that will take several steps.”

“What do you mean?”

You drew Ezio’s attention to a map of Roma that you had acquired from one of the guilds and placed on the wall. He quickly saw that certain parts of it were marked by the familiar red bull sigil used by the Borgia.

“Each section of Roma is overseen by Borgia retainers atop a large tower. Those that control the towers also control all commerce in that area and report back directly to the Borgias. Not only that, but they take further advantage of the citizens there either through theft or other means. We must put a stop to it.

“And if we take out the towers..”

“We take out the Borgias. And we take them for ourselves.” You finished. “Once we have the towers in our control, we can move onto the next step.”

“Which is?”

“Rebuilding Roma of course.” You said.

“And how do you propose we do that?”

“The same way you and your Uncle Mario rebuilt Monteriggioni, by acquiring and reopening the businesses that were closed due to the Borgia’s unfair taxes. Roma cannot thrive if there is no reason to stop here.”

“Fair enough. So, when do we start?”

With a sigh you explained. “As much as I want to now, we must continue to wait. My sources tell me that the Borgia are still under the impression that the Brotherhood is broken. We must let them think that a bit longer, it will catch them more off guard when we do attack.”

“And when we do….” Ezio asked with a devious look

“That is when the real fight will begin.”

The next few weeks were spent with further training. Once it had reached a point where the appointed ones could teach the recruits no more, you stepped in. Not only were you able to show them more on swordplay, but you taught them how to make homemade weapons, including bombs.

Ezio assisted with the training as well, showing them how to better pickpocket others and showing the others how to free run atop the city. Sometimes for fun, you might organize a race through the city and anyone who could beat you would get an afternoon off. So many tried, but no one succeeded. The different jumps and leaps the others saw you do about gave everyone a heart attack.

As much as you pushed the novices, they and Ezio noted that you pushed yourself just as hard if not harder to better yourself. Even though it was clear to them you were in a league of your own, to you, you could always be better, and you would not stop till you were.

When the two of you were not training the others, you would often scout the city together. Anytime you ran afoul of the guards, much as before, you would take any funds that they carried, along with any weapons and armor. Due to funding some of the blacksmith shops, you were able to convince them to help refit the armor to some of the new recruits.

If you came across a new weapon, you would examine it carefully and if it was in good working order, you would take it back to the hideout, where you would show the new recruits how to use it. During one session, you both impressed and unnerved the novices with how accurate you were with the crossbow, even doing a few trick shots.

“Remind me never to anger you.” Ezio joked as he saw you shoot several targets in regions which promised to take out anyone and their potential lines for good.

Nearly 4 months after your arrival in Roma, you and Ezio felt comfortable enough with the novices to send them out not only into Roma, but outside the city as well. After giving the higher-ranking ones their orders to travel to some of the other dens in other cities and help with missions there, the rest remained in Roma and prepared to start taking back the different districts.

The day of the first wave, you spent the morning secluded from the others, including Ezio, explaining that you needed to ensure that everything would be ready. It was mostly spent getting yourself into the proper mindset for the mission.

Secluded, you cleared your mind and went over the layout of the district, having studied it for days. Knowing the habits of the different guards, you knew that you would have limited spaces to which you could not only get close to but scale the towers. The guards on the ground would have to be dispatched of first of course and in such a way that the guards up top would not notice their comrades missing until it was too late.

It should be an easy mission, you reassured yourself. If he wasn’t there.

As far as you knew, he hadn’t shown his face in Roma since his arrival. Every day as you trained the novices and made plans for to take back the city, you wondered each day if that would be the day he would arrive back in Roma, ready to claim what was his.

He was the worst creature that God had seen fit to create, the vilest, the most morally corrupt man to every wear the red robes of a Cardinal, even more so than the corrupt despot that sired him.

You hadn’t come face to face with this demon disguised as a man in many years and you always worried that when the time came, you would not have the courage or skill to strike him down. That day had not come yet, but you took solace in one thing, that if today was that day, you would not be alone.

Once you were mentally ready, you stood up and went to your bag. Inside was something you were saving for that day, something you had made sure to keep hidden from the others. If word of it got out, plans would be scuttled and too much work had gone into these plans to see them fail.

Around midday, Ezio heard the door open and when he saw you walk out, he felt himself a bit unnerved. Instead of your usual vibrant black and red robes, you were now dressed in robes of black with elaborate grey trim. Adding to it was a mask covering the lower half of your face, a mask with dark, intricate designs. With your head lowered, you looked rather demonic, and Ezio was not the only one who felt so.

“Shall we, Signore Auditore?” You asked in a chilling voice.

Glad to finally bring the fight to the Borgias, Ezio returned the smile and said. “Lets.”

It worked perfectly.

No sooner had you and Ezio arrived at the tower along with a chosen few novices, you and Ezio quickly and quietly dispatched of the guards on the ground. Once ready, you swiftly scaled up the tower with Ezio close behind, and upon reaching the top, you dispatched of the guards in a way that nearly made Ezio’s stomach turn, gutting each of the guards deeply and all but flaying them open.

“They have shown no mercy to the citizens of Roma, they will be shown no mercy in kind.” You replied darkly as you wiped the blood of the guard from your hidden blade. Once it was clean, you grabbed a nearby torch and handed it to Ezio

“Shall we?”

After setting the tower aflame, the both of you leaped from the tower to a nearby hay pile. Exiting the pile, you saw that the novices had already broken into the tower stores and sorting through all the items stored there.

“Make sure they are distributed evenly between the citizens.” You ordered. “And make sure they know where it came from.”

Once the work was completed, all of you made your way back to Tiber Island. You and Ezio thanked the novices for a job well done and gave them orders to rest up in preparation for the next mission. After dismissing them, Ezio retrieved a bottle of wine and pour a few goblets for the both of you. The dark red liquid was the perfect way to end the day and for the first time since your arrival in Roma, you allowed yourself to relax and enjoy a bit of normalcy.

“How soon do you think the Borgias will find out?” Ezio inquired.

“I’m sure they will soon enough. But for now, let’s hope that other matters will distract them.” 

As planned, Ezio took the money and re-opened the shops in the first district. The previous occupants were still in Roma and were eager to be running things again and quickly agreed to assist the brotherhood in their efforts.

Besides re-opening the shops, money was also invested into restoring old abandoned storehouses. These storehouses were quickly handed over to the local guild, who like the shop owners, were promised more in exchange for their help.

Waiting several weeks between each one, the same plan was executed as before, the novices would take on the guards bellow while you and Ezio would neutralize the guards up top the tower. As before, the storerooms would be emptied, and the money used to help bring the district back to life.

In-between the missions, you would always make time to travel throughout them to see how the citizens were getting along and to make sure the Guilds would keep their word. Often Ezio would accompany you, talking about anything and everything along the way.

At each visit, Ezio would watch quietly as you would sit with the citizens of the district and hear of any concerns they might have. Many times, there would be cases of rogue city guards trying to terrorize the people, guards that you would quickly deal with on your own. It impressed him just how passionate you were about helping the citizens of Roma to take back their city, just as it impressed him that you had such a good way with everyone.

The only one who could seemingly best you at diffusing a situation was Machiavelli and every time he watched you deploy your charm to smooth things over between others, he didn’t know if he should be charmed or wary. Your wit was nearly as sharp as your blade and you used both with expert precision.

As each district was taken back, the City of Roma seemed as if a great cloud had been lifted. Even Machiavelli during his visits to Roma for business quickly noted how so much had changed since he had sent for you.

While visiting the Rosa to check with Claudia and Maria, he sat with Ezio and watched you as you helped to hand out new things for the girls. He couldn’t help but notice that Ezio never took his eyes off you.

“She’s rather extraordinary, isn’t she?” Machiavelli noted as you chatted with the girls.

“That she is.” Ezio replied, in a bit of a wistful tone

“And what of Signora Sforza?” He teased Ezio a bit, having heard what Ezio had been up to just before the attack.

“Caterina can’t hold a candle to her.” Ezio said firmly, his eyes still watching you and just enjoying being in the same room as you.

Machiavelli chuckled softly as he watched Ezio become more and more enchanted by you. He had heard through his spies that the two of you were almost always together and some had even taken bets as to when Ezio would finally confess how he felt about you.

While it was clear to all how Ezio felt, almost no one knew how you felt about him. While you were open with the others for the most part, many quickly picked up on how you almost never talked about your past, preferring to listen to others instead. Many just assumed that your past had been so bad that you simply wanted to move on from it and respected that. You were one of the good ones, that was enough.

While you wished you could be open with the others about where you grew up and how you grew up, the problem was, even thinking about your early years brought nothing but great pain and not being able to explain why your eyes would tear up anytime stories of happy childhoods made it worse for you.

How could you explain to them that your early years were a hell that they couldn’t imagine? How did one go about explaining that their very existence was due to an act of violence and that your early years were spent at the mercy of evil men, men who saw you as nothing more than collateral, a way to safeguard themselves from an attack by the Assassins.

As much as you wanted to share it all, sharing anything would only cause problems, problems that never seemed to truly disappear, no matter where you went. And so, you did your best to hide it all from them. You did your best to hide the one insidious truth about yourself, that in your veins coursed the blood given to you by a man who was more monster than anything. Inside you coursed the blood you shared with the most depraved and evil people you had met in your life, the family you had sworn to spend the rest of your life destroying, the blood of the Borgias.

You knew that if anyone, especially Ezio found out the truth, all your hard work would be undone. All the trust you had worked to build with him would vanish in an instant. Though you had tried to keep yourself at a distance from him emotionally, the more you spent time with him, the more you felt drawn to him.

You did your best to remind yourself that the mission must come first, but the longer this mission lasted, the longer it promised to turn into much more and if you weren’t careful, the City of Roma would pay the price for it.

One year later, Roma was truly thriving. Having freed all the districts from Borgia control, along with restoring many of the historical sites, the citizens felt for the first time in a long time that life itself was good and the city was truly blessed by God. Though the districts were freed, you knew that Roma itself would never truly be safe until the Borgias were gone.

To your frustration, it seemed as if anytime things would line up to where you could take down your top target Cesare, he would seemingly vanish from Roma before you could get the chance and would often be gone for weeks at a time.

Because of this, you had to delay plans for Rodrigo more than once. Ezio was not pleased about it either, but the two of you knew that if you struck at the wrong time, it would cause Roma more harm than good. So, you did what you could to bide time, all the while keeping your secret safe.

While you kept yourself occupied, another group was consolidating their power. Having felt slighted for too long by his father, Cesare had spent the last year traveling through the provinces, buying the loyalty of the nobles through promises of riches and top positions once he took the title he was most after, a title he became bound and determined to take by any means necessary and what was happening in Roma served to fuel his ambition even more.

The districts falling back into the hands of the citizens did not go unnoticed by him and many of his retainers and his father bore the brunt of his screaming fits as it seemed as if they did not care that they were losing control of the city rapidly.

“Soon enough it will not matter. We have the apple and when the time is right, we will not only have Roma in our hands again, but the world itself.” Rodrigo chided Cesare.

But that answer never satisfied him, it only infuriated him further and further every time he heard it. It was only Lucrezia who could convince him to bide his time, but even she could only hold him back so long.

=========================================================

It all came to a head after the Pagan celebration.

Upon hearing that both Rodrigo and Cesare were holed up in the Castle, you and Ezio decided to infiltrate it and try to get a lead on their movements. Sneaking in from the side, the both of you made quick work of the guards, most still hung over from the celebration. As the two of you moved in, you could hear someone yelling. Guessing he was inside the papal apartments, the two of you got as close as you could to it.

Spotting a nearby window, Ezio climbed up and looked in and saw that Cesare was having a row with Rodrigo. Cesare was screaming while Rodrigo was somehow completely calm and for some reason, rather focus on a bowl of apples on a nearby table.

“It’s Rodrigo and Cesare.” Ezio whispered. “And Cesare isn’t pleased. He wants the Apple”

Being close enough to hear their voices was shredding your nerves bit by bit and for the moment, you were glad Ezio was more focused on what was inside the apartments, so he couldn’t see you shaking.

Suddenly, inside the apartment, just as Cesare was eating one of the apples, Ezio saw Lucrezia bust into the room, screaming about Rodrigo trying to poison Cesare. He quickly spit out the apple, spoke and picked up another and forced it into his father’s mouth.

“He’s trying to kill Rodrigo!” Ezio said, not believing what he was seeing.

You climbed up to see in just enough time for Cesare to let his father go and turn against Lucrezia, screaming at her to tell him where the Apple was.

“We’d best find a way in.” You said, quickly taking off. Ezio follow close behind across the roof and to the other side, where luckily an open window awaited you. Ezio climbed down first and inside. He turned around, expecting to see you behind him only to see that you were sitting on the sill.

“Find out what she knows.” You whispered. “I’ll keep an eye out.”

“Don’t you want to..”

“Cesare could be on his way to the Apple, we don’t have time!” You whispered sharply.

Ezio quickly made his way over to Rodrigo’s body. Cesare was already gone, but Lucrezia remained, still in shock over Cesare’s actions. As he knelt to examine him, he quickly saw that the poison had done its work quickly. Rodrigo Borgia was dead.

As much as you wanted to confirm it, you could hear your sister still in the room, coughing. As she knew what your robes looked like, you knew that if she saw you, argument with Cesare be damned, she would run and tell him. And if not, reveal your secret.

Ezio give his traditional last blessing, while you remained on the ledge, doing your best to keep yourself from shaking and hoping that your sister wouldn’t see you.

You could hear Lucrezia reveal to Ezio where the Apple was through a strained voice. As much as you knew it wasn’t right, a part of you wished that Cesare would have finished her off as well.

Ezio quickly returned to you and said, “We’d best get out of here, now.” He followed you quickly and quietly out the window, going back the same way the two of you came. The guards were still knocked out, so it was easy to slip past them and out of the fortress.

Once safely away, you moved as quickly as you could to towards the Vatican, not knowing how much time you would have. Hearts racing, you scrambled into the courtyard, frantically searching for the prize, only to be met by the papal guards.

“Cazzo!” Ezio swore. “We don’t have time for this!”

“We’ve no choice!” You screamed as you drew your sword and charged straight at them “Go look for it!”

Ezio knew you wanted him to move ahead, but he wasn’t about to leave the woman he loved behind. Seeing you keeping half the guards busy, he drew his own sword and charged at the others. It was a quick and frenzied fight, with the both of you showing no mercy to your opponents.

After they were dispatched, you and Ezio reached the center courtyard where a large egg-shaped column was in the center. Using his eagle vision, Ezio quickly found what you were looking for. Walking up to it, he placed his hand on it, which opened it up to reveal the Apple hidden inside.

Ezio had barely taken a hold of it when you heard footsteps. Turning to see who it was, to your horror, it was Cesare flanked by two more guards.

You knew this was your chance, one swift movement with your knives or your crossbow and he would be done for. He was weakened by the poison; he was yours for the killing. One shot was all that was needed.

But you couldn’t move. To your horror you found yourself frozen in place at being so close to your worst nightmare.

For Cesare, it was far worse than he could have imagined. Not only had his enemy Ezio secured the Apple, but Ezio was not alone. Standing near him was another assassin, one he had not seen in some time. A familiar one, dressed in black and grey robes. Robes that he knew only belonged to one person.

“You?!” He bellowed; his rage nearly volcanic at seeing the one person he hated more than Ezio himself.

“Looking for this?” Ezio asked, holding out the Apple, not realizing who Cesare was addressing.

Cesare moved to charge you, only to have his body hit with another wave of pain from the poison. He ordered the guards to attack you. Ezio quickly dispatched of them using the Apple, causing the guards to take each other out.

“Ezio we must go!” You pleaded as you saw Cesare call for the other guards. “Now!”

Taking off running, Ezio followed close behind still clutching the Apple. Swarms of guards ran towards you, but the two of you kept running, even taking to the rooftops to try and lose them.

After what seemed like forever, you finally made it to Tiber Island. Once there the two of you took a moment to catch your breath, neither one of you saying a word as you tried to process what just happened.

Even though you said nothing, inside you were screaming like mad, berating yourself repeatedly for being such a coward and not killing Cesare when you had the chance. You despaired at realizing for certain that even after all this time, his mere presence was enough to make you not feel like the strong, competent assassin you were, but a terrified little girl wanting nothing more than to hide from the monster chasing you.

Looking over to you, Ezio noted you still had a pale, scared look on your face, as if you had seen a spirit. Your whole body seemed to be shaking and your eyes seemed to stare off into a place that wasn’t there. Ezio’s heart dropped to the pit of his stomach. He had never seen you rattled like this before and his mind raced for any reason why.

Hoping to help calm you, he reached out and took your hand

“It’s okay. You’re okay” He said tenderly as he laced his fingers through yours and pulled you into a hug. It took a few moments for you to register that Ezio was holding you, but once it did, you allowed yourself to relax and just hold onto him, grateful for his presence.

“I’ve got you.” He whispered as he held tight to you, hoping that it would help to sooth you.

It might have been a few minutes, it might have been longer than that, but shortly after your body finally stopped shaking.

Ezio noted your silence and wondered what to say. He expected you to be jubilant at what had just happened, not silent. Perhaps it was just the fact it had been a very long day and you were just in need of some rest. Perhaps there was something else at play.

“What should we do next?” He inquired, still holding onto you tightly,

Of that you were not sure. Your plans for Rodrigo’s assassination were now scuttled and with Cesare back in Roma for who knew how long, time was not on your side.

“We had best move quickly, Cesare has been waiting years for this, and he isn’t about to wait much longer.”

Back at the Castle, Cesare was resting in the papal apartments, his body still racked with pain from the poison still coursing through his veins. Cesare hadn’t thought to spread the word about the Holy Father’s death just yet, for he needed to arrange it in a way to which he would come out on top. He had worked hard to get where he was and he couldn’t afford any missteps, especially since the top prize was so close at hand.

Keeping him company was Lucrezia, who was still seething over Cesare’s attempt to poison their father and his treatment of her. Shortly after she had tried to flee only for Cesare’s men to stop her. She was trapped and she knew it.

Making things more complicated was the news that Cesare had shared upon his return. Lucrezia didn’t want to believe it, after all so many times in the past you were rumored to be somewhere close only to find out you weren’t. But Cesare was certain.

“How long has she been here?”

“She has been here for some time. Father knew she was here and did nothing. She kept herself hidden well enough” Cesare said in a strained voice as he took more of the powder he had purchased from the physician earlier. “I must credit her for that. Our dear sister, hiding in plain sight. How appropriate.”

Lucrezia, much like Cesare, had no love for you at all. Though the same age as you, she never thought of you as family. To her, all you represented was the nights her mother cried about being replaced by some assassin whore. She had also loathed you for growing into a far more fetching woman than she had and have even feared that you would take her place in their fathers’ affections. When you had escaped years ago, she had lit a candle for thanks to God and prayed that she would never see you again. But to her dismay, her prayers had not been answered.

“What do you plan to do about her?” Lucrezia asked, though she could already guess.

Cesare already had the perfect plan to stop the Assassin’s in their tracks and if not stop them, buy some time. Along with hearing of your presence, he had heard that Ezio had fallen for you, deeply and the chance to wound Ezio in a way that no medicine would cure, filled him with great pleasure.

“Hit her where it hurts…and him as well.”

The next night, The Foxes Den tavern was quite busy. Men from all over Roma had gathered there to play some of the dice games that the tavern was known for and the nights purse was rumored to be one of the biggest yet.

Also present were members of the Thieves Guild and even some of the City Guards. As much as the Guild hated to see them there, the owners were not about to see them out. For them, anyone who had good coin to spend was welcome and the City Guards, large, rough looking men, who the Guild knew doubled as bodyguards for the Borgias had plenty of coin.

One of the guild members, a young blonde thief named Pietro, after losing a round of dice, decided to call it good and grab another tankard of ale. As was walking by the table with the Guards he caught the words.

“Yes. It’s true. There are more members of the Borgia family than most know. Most think The Pope only has 4 children. I have it on good authority he has 5.” Spoke a man who bore the insignia of a captain of the guard.

“5?”

Taking a long draught of ale, the Captain continued “Yes, he only claims 4 publicly but there is another. A daughter no less. One even lovelier than the Lady Lucrezia they say. Deadlier too.

“Deadlier?”

“Oh yes. She is an Assassin. By the name of (Y/N)”

Hearing your name, Pietro froze in place, not noticing the tankard of ale that had just been placed before him. The tavernkeeper, eager to move onto the next customer, didn’t notice the color draining from Pietro’s face as he tried to convince himself that the Captain of the Guards was somehow mistaken.

Pietro knew you. At least he thought he did. He had worked with you several times over the last few weeks on jobs, stealing things from the Borgias allies and helping to redistribute them.

There was no way what the Captain claimed was true. It couldn’t be.

Could it?

The next day found Pietro at the Tiber Island hideout along with a few of the other guild members. They had been tasked to bring the latest round of stolen Borgia goods there and they were to wait for their next assignment.

What Pietro had heard the night before still troubled him. He hadn’t mentioned it to any of the others as he didn’t want to cause any trouble himself. Those that spread tales in the Guild tended to be dealt with severely, especially if such tales couldn’t be back up. But it wouldn’t stop nagging at him and his fellow thief Roberto, newly arrived from Spain the other day took notice.

“What is it with you? You haven’t spoken all day and you look like you’ve seen a spirit.” He asked, ribbing Pietro.

“Well, I heard something, last night at the Tavern..” Pietro said.

“What, your favorite whore was bought by someone else for the night?” Roberto teased.

“No. It’s about..(Y/N)

At that moment, Ezio returned to the hideout to get the report from the guild. As he walked into the main foyer, he saw that several members of the guild were standing around talking and looking rather nervous.

Ezio wondered if the mission had gone wrong and that they were trying to discuss how to break the news to him. But the first words that came to his ears were not what he expected.

“She can’t be a Borgia. It’s just not possible.”

“Who can’t be a Borgia?” Ezio asked, greatly curious.

All the faces of the Guild Members went pale. Not one of them wanted to repeat the conversation, especially knowing that Signore Auditore was sweet on the person they were just discussing.

“Who can’t be a Borgia?” Ezio inquired again, this time in a firmer voice, crossing his arms.

Pietro, thinking he might as well say it, took a deep breath and said “(Y/N)

“Where did you hear of this?!” He asked sternly

“Over at the Foxes’ Den tavern. I heard it from one of the Borgia’s own men.”

“And you believe the words of a Borgia retainer?”

“The man in question was quite drunk when he said it. And in my experience, people talk more freely when they are drunk.” Pietro explained. “And it was one of the Captains.”

The thieves stood there and waited for the world to end as they watched Ezio’s face turn dark. How would he react to such news?

Ezio didn’t want to believe it. Every fiber of his being was screaming that it couldn’t be true. There was no way he could fathom that this woman, whom he had grown so close to over these last few months, the one who had led so many attacks on the Borgia’s retainers. There was no way that the woman he loved was one of them…

Wordlessly, he stormed out of the hideout, feeling the need to put his fist through something,…or someone.

As much as he argued against it in his own mind, it explained easily why you refused to talk about your past. It explained how you seemed to know so much about them, things that even their own retainers didn’t seem to know.

Ezio didn’t know what to do, but the one thing he did know was that everything he knew about you or thought he knew was now in question. How did he know that you were not a traitor?

After finishing some business with one of the blacksmiths, you headed back towards the hideout. Your mood was an exceptionally good one in that he had been able to secure some more weapons for the Brotherhood at a better than expected price.

Also helping your mood was knowing that despite not eliminating Cesare and Lucrezia was the knowledge that the bastard who had sired you was no more. Not only was he gone, but with him died Cesare’s only real protection. It was just a matter of time now. The nightmare that was the Borgia rule was almost over.

As you arrived back at Tiber Island, you saw several of the novices outside the door, all of them looking like they didn’t wish to go in.

“What’s going on?” You asked, though it seemed as if they didn’t hear you. None saw fit to answer or even acknowledge your presence.

Carefully opening the door, you walked down the stairs and saw that the hideout was a shamble. Furniture was overturned, papers were scattered everywhere. The notes and map you had posted about the Borgia had been ripped to shreds.

Your first thought went to a theft. Perhaps one of the Borgia retainers had found the hideout and broken in, hoping to find the Apple. Quickly you began searching for any clues they might have left.

No sooner had you started searching than you spotted Ezio by the hearth, seemingly staring into the flames, not making a sound.

“Ezio! What happened?!” You asked, “Were the Borgia here?!”

Yes, they were. Ezio thought, his mind raging over your betrayal of his trust.

It seemed as if Ezio couldn’t hear you.

“Ezio, did you not hear me?”

His silence was rather strange. So, you called to him again. “Ezio? Ezio, what happened here?” You asked as you walked up to him. No sooner had you reached out and put a hand to his shoulder, than he spun around and knocked it away.

Ezio heard you, at least your voice. But looking at you, he didn’t see the woman he had come to love this last year. All he could see was the eyes from Rodrigo and the smile that he knew also graced the face of the man he hated most of all. All this time he wondered where he had seen you before and now he knew he saw you in the faces of those who ripped his family apart

“Get away from me!!” He growled, in a tone you had never once heard from him, at least not towards you. Before you could say anymore, he quickly walked away from you, up the stone stairs and slammed the door.

“Very well.” You said to yourself, stunned and a bit surprised at Ezio being so short with you. Your mind raced to find an answer to what angered him so, but no answers came. So, you decided to leave him be. Perhaps he just needed some time to cool off, you told yourself. Perhaps.

Later that evening, you went to try and speak to him again, only to be treated with an even more curt tone than before. You looked to the other assassins in the hideout, but even they were keeping their distance from Ezio.

“It’s just a bad day. He will be fine tomorrow.” You told yourself repeatedly to try and combat the hurt that was growing in your heart. Again, you wondered what could have done to inspire such a reacting from him.

“It’s just a bad day. He will be fine tomorrow.”

Except he wasn’t. He was just as curt with you as he was the day before. You again decided to give him more space, only to return to the same cold shoulder from him. If you were in the same room as him, he saw fit to pretend that you were not there and even shot daggers at you when he thought you were not looking.

You wanted to go up to him, pull him aside and demand to know what was wrong, but one thing you had learned about Ezio was that if he didn’t wish to talk, he wasn’t going to.

You hoped he would soon though, the more and more time seemed to pass, the colder he seemed to get towards you. Making it worse was that even the other members were keeping their distance from you and even some of the guild members. No one would even give you a hint as to what was wrong.

So, you stayed away as much as possible, returning only when you had to. Sometimes that meant sleeping away from the hideout, in places where it wasn’t the most comfortable. You had thought to seek refuge at Machiavelli’s residence, but the last thing you wanted was to impose on him.

You didn’t know how long you could take this behavior from him and the others. It hurt more than you could possibly express to know that they had turned away from you and couldn’t even say one word to you.

One night, outside The Rosa, you wrapped yourself up and hoped for any kind of rest. As you fell into a fitful sleep, all you could think were the following words:

“Ezio, whatever I have done, I am sorry”

Making things more complicated was the funeral, the funeral of the Pope. All the citizens of Roma lined the streets to watch the body of the Holy Father travel from the Castle de Angelo to St. Peter’s basilica. Behind the body of the holy father was a fine carriage, containing Cesare and Lucrezia, dressed in their finest and were behaving as if they were revered heads of state.

Watching the display from above, you were lost in a mixture of emotions. There was relief that Rodrigo was truly gone, fear that there was nothing to keep Cesare in check now but most of all there was loneliness. Not having anyone to speak to about the storm of emotions swirling in your heart, especially not Ezio made it worse.

A few stray tears fell down your cheeks and though no one was close enough to see them, you wiped them away, ashamed that you were allowing such a display to get to you. Your dear mother would tell you that it would be best to let it all out, but as you had seemingly done enough damage somehow…

Noticing that Rodrigo’s body had been taken into the basilica, you decided you could stand no more of this farce. Even though he was now dead, the work would continue, so you thought it best to focus on that. Perhaps afterwards you could somehow convince Ezio to speak to you again. If he would even speak to you again.

Almost a week after learning the news, Ezio found himself wandering about the city, still short with everyone, doing all he could to stay away from you. Word had quickly spread amongst the Brotherhood and many of the members had opted to simply avoid him as well. Like you he tried to bury himself in work, only to find that it was no respite at all.

The city itself was mostly still. With the Holy Father’s Funeral a few days before, many were still putting on a show of mourning. Though there had been little love for the late Alexander VI, many felt that they would risk too much in the next life to not mourn him, no matter the kind of man he really was.

Much like you, he had decided to bury himself in work, checking with the guilds to see if any new missions had come up, but there were few and quickly dealt with. Along with the guilds, he stopped by the shops to see what new weapons had arrived, but none had.

While he was out, he decided to stop by the The Rosa to check on things with Claudia. Walking inside, he was greeted by the sight of Machiavelli looking over some of the assignments for the ladies and adding a few of his own. Ezio’s mood instantly soured further. Not only was your word in question with Ezio, but so was his and now was as good a time as any for answers.

“Machiavelli!” Ezio bellowed as he walked over to the elder statesmen, sorely tempted to put him through the wall of the bordello.

“Yes?” He answered, his voice incredibly calm.

“Did you know about this?!” Ezio demanded

“About what?” Machiavelli asked, though he had a good guess. He had been warned about Ezio’s foul mood upon his arrival and like the skilled politician he was, already had a plan to smooth things over.

“About her being a Borgia?!

Machiavelli didn’t have to ask who Ezio meant. He had known the truth about you for the longest time.

“Yes, I knew. She told me about its years ago.” Machiavelli shrugged, still more concerned about Guild business. “It’s not that much of a secret really. The whole Council knows.”

“Why did you not tell me?!”

“I didn’t think it important” He shrugged. In the grand scheme of things, in Machiavelli’s eyes, it wasn’t.

“Why not?! Does it not bother you?!”

“No, it does not Ezio. And quite frankly, it shouldn’t bother you either.” Machiavelli responded; a tad annoyed at Ezio’s behavior.

“Why?!” Ezio asked, flabbergasted at Machiavelli being so calm at the news.

With all the patience of a man used to dealing with worse tantrums from far more powerful and dangerous people, Machiavelli turned to face Ezio and threw down the gauntlet.

“Tell me Ezio, how did you choose to be an Auditore?” Machiavelli asked as turned to face him.

The question puzzled Ezio.

“I didn’t. What does that have to do with her?!” Ezio stammered.

In a clear even tone that brooked no argument and in a voice loud enough for the others to hear, Machiavelli explained “Because Ezio, just as you didn’t choose to be born an Auditore, she did not choose to be born a Borgia. She could have easily chosen to become just like them, to live off the misery of others. But she has instead dedicated her life to stopping them, at great cost to herself. If all the work you have seen her carry out against them this last year isn’t proof enough of where her loyalties lie, then I don’t know what is. But I do know one thing, every member of this Order has done things far worse than being born a member of a family such as the Borgias. You would do well to remember that.”

Machiavelli’s words took the air out of Ezio. He did his best to come up with an argument against Machiavelli but could only muster up the energy to turn around and leave, slamming the door as he did so.

It took hours for Ezio to calm himself, at least as much as he could to allow himself to think clearly about Machiavelli’s revelations. Ezio argued with himself repeatedly, trying everything to find the flaw in Machiavelli’s arguments, but it all came back to one conclusion: Machiavelli was right.

“I’ve been such a damned fool.”

Ezio didn’t think it was possible to feel any lower than he did at that moment. He had let his hatred of the Borgia cloud his judgement and allowed himself to hurt you in ways that you didn’t deserve. Anger soon gave way to shame as he recalled his behavior towards you over the last few days and wondered how he could ever face you again. If he could face you again.

It was hard to focus on your work. While you were supposed to be watching Cesare’s retainers, all you could think about was what to do about Ezio and your feelings for him. His mood hadn’t improved and because many of the others were avoiding the Tiber Island hideout and in some cases, you, you wondered over and over what you had done to deserve such ire from them all. Roma had gone from a comfortable place to feeling not so much.

Though a part you considered leaving Roma and returning to Spain on the next boat, you recalled all the work you had put in these last months and with you and the others so close to bringing down Cesare, too much was at stake to back out now.

With Ezio not wanting to be near you, you decided to move on out and return to the Castle, perhaps see if you could get any lead on Cesare’s next movements. And if a fight or two came of it, so much the better. Battle wounds would hurt less than the rejection of the man you had come to love so much.

Getting in and past the guards was much easier than expected. Many were still hung over from the gathering the night before, so no one noticed you moving along the battlements, looking for signs of Cesare and Lucrezia through the windows. You knew they were still in Roma. But to get what you needed, you would have to venture further in and risk a run in with either or both of your siblings.

Once inside, you found the fortress mostly empty. The few guards you saw were quickly knocked out and hidden away. At each doorway, you stopped to listen in for any familiar voices, but heard none. It seemed as if the fortress was asleep.

Soon enough you reached the Papal Apartments. After listening in for voices and hearing none you opened the door, surprisingly, it was unlocked. It was decorated not just in the colors and sigils of the Papacy, but the Borgias as well. The air itself had a sickening feel to it, and so, eager to be done with it all, you started searching the room for anything that might give a hint to what Cesare might be planning next.

You search distracted you from the soft footsteps creeping up behind you. Having got out of bed to investigate a noise, Cesare moved as carefully as he could with his cane and saw to his delight that you had managed to sneak into the apartment. He had hoped that Ezio spurning you would send you his way and he was filled with a sadistic joy that his plan had work.

“Hello sister.” Came a familiar, sickening voice from behind you. That venom laced voice that always filled you with dread and constantly haunted your dreams. “It’s been so long since you came to visit”

Don’t turn around. Don’t let him see your fear.

“We didn’t see you at Father’s funeral. I was beginning to think you’d forgotten all about us *cough*…your loving family..”

Memories flooded your mind and sent a chill down your spine. So many memories of Juan and Cesare tormenting you…of the both sneaking into your room at night to scare you. So many thoughts that filled your heart with dread and it took all your inner strength to keep your composure. You could not show any fear, for Cesare could sense it like a hound sensed blood.

Don’t let him scare you. You are stronger than him. You whispered to yourself in hopes that you could talk yourself into facing him.

“You and I have very different definitions of that word, Cesare. “You said, your voice tremoring ever so slightly as you gripped the handle of your sword.

Cesare had hoped that he could still scare you after all this time and to his delight, he still could. The tremor in your voice did not go unnoticed and he hoped to make it grow even more.

Still weak from the poison, Cesare held firmly to his cane for support. He didn’t know how long his strength would hold until he passed out again, so he knew he had to move quickly.

“Don’t be like that sister. We only wanted what was best for you.” He said in a faux loving voice, hoping to play off your need for acceptance that he knew was your weakness.

“If by “best” you mean “what suited the family’s interests.”

“Just think. All of this could have been yours. You could have been the wife of a nobleman. You could have had riches beyond meaning. You could have been so much better than your whore of a mother. “He sneered as he walked closer to you, knowing it would make your skin crawl.

At the insult towards your mother, your blood boiled. It was not the first time you had ever heard her called that, but every time, it hurt worse than a punch to the gut. It made you think of all the stories you had heard about your mother and her treatment at Rodrigo’s hands.

Cesare was quick to twist where he knew it hurt, quick to dish it out, but even he had his own weakness when it came to his own mother. You had no love for her yourself, the woman who helped make Juan, Cesare, Lucrezia the twisted creatures they were.

“Seems you’ve forgotten the status of your own mother, Cesare.” You snarled as you turned to face your demon of a brother, showing him that same sickening smile that the both of you inherited from Rodrigo “How is Vannozza by the way? From what I heard; she couldn’t attend her precious Lucrezia’s wedding. Something to do with the fact that. Oh yes. She was a whore too.”

Cesare instantly dropped all pretense and lunged for you. Quick as he was, you were quicker, you grabbed him, spun him around and brought him down onto a nearby table, breaking it in the process and began punching Cesare repeatedly, finding great pleasure in seeing his blood stain the floor and table, growling like a wild animal at feeling the bones in his face and his teeth crack and break with each strike to his face.

Here was your chance. Cesare, without Rodrigo to protect him, none of his retainers, not even his beloved Lucrezia to save him now.

After a few moments of this, you stopped to catch your breath and examine your work. Cesare looked to be knocked out, his face an ungodly mess.

“Cesare Borgia, speechless? I never thought I’d see that. But enough of this” You gloated, as you engaged your blade, ready to drive it deep into Cesare’s throat. Drive it in deep and be free of him forever. But to your horror, Cesare had one last card to play and he was ready to use it,

“Tell me sister” He gasped as the pain in his face radiated all over, his mouth filling with blood. Quickly spitting it out he gasped “Will your beloved Ezio feel the same way once he finds out about you. Oh yes. He already has.’”

Instantly your blood ran cold as it all started coming together. Lunging down, you grabbed Cesare with all your strength and slammed him into the wall, bringing your face to his.

“What did you say?!” You spat at him.

Though his face ached in pain, pain that he had never felt before, he willed himself to speak more. To him, the wound he was about to inflict on you was worth all the suffering in the world.

“Oh that. I had one of my men fake having too much to drink and spill a few things at The Foxes Den tavern. A few things that have made their way to the ears of a certain Master Assassin. I’m told he didn’t take it well.” Cesare laughed as blood dripped from his mouth.

It couldn’t be true, you told yourself. It had to be a lie, you all by screamed in your mind. Your mind did all it could to convince you that he was lying. But the gleeful look in his eyes told you he wasn’t. Cesare was many things; a liar wasn’t one of them.

All thoughts of slaughtering Cesare there and then evaporated and were quickly replaced by the thoughts of Ezio turning away from you. It all made sense. But surely, if you could explain yourself…

Wordlessly you dropped Cesare and dashed out of the apartments, hoping to find Ezio. As you hoped and prayed with all you had it wasn’t too late, you could have sworn you heard the mocking laughter of your brother echoing through the fortress halls. It was a laugh you would never get out of your head.

You spent hours rushing about looking for Ezio, but he was nowhere in sight. Checking with all your sources and all his favorite places all you could learn was that he was still in Roma, but he seemed to have just vanished.

By nightfall you were feeling worn out and defeated by it all, so you gave up the search and decided to head back. Thankful for the cover of darkness and your hood, it helped to hide the tears that stained your face as the mocking laughter of your brother and the coldness of Ezio swirled in your mind together to create a storm within you.

Finally arriving at the Tiber Island hideout, you hoped and prayed that it was empty as you were in no mood to talk to the others. Cesare’s words still rang in your ears as you walked down the stairs and went to look for a hidden cache in the wall, seeking out the bottle of Madeira that you had brought with you, the one you were saving for when you and Ezio defeated Cesare together. There was no point in saving it now.

As soon as you found it, you opened it, not bothering with a goblet, drank deeply of the dark, sweet liquid and enjoyed the feel if its warmth spreading through you, also helping to dull the throbbing pain in your hand, still stained with Cesare’s blood.

Taking the bottle with you, you walked through the hideout and made yourself comfortable Infront of the hearth, where a roaring fire awaited you. The warmth of the flames and the wine were a welcome respite from the coldness you had experienced from Ezio, and simply thinking of him, your thoughts turned darker still.

“I was a damned fool to think he wouldn’t find out. They all do eventually.”

Though you now had an explanation for Ezio’s behavior and you understood why he chose to act the way he did, as much as it pained you, you decided that it would be best for you to keep your distance from him, to continue your work on your own and once finished, you would return to Spain. It was just another bit of disappointment in your life, but you were used to that.

After downing the last drop, you stood up and went to go look for more wine, wondering if perhaps you could drink enough to make you forget the last few months, if not the last few days. If no wine could be found, there was always the taverns.

When your search turned up nothing, you went to leave the hideout, but at the bottom of the stairs was someone. Someone you both hoped to see and hoped to avoid. Standing there still looking cross as he did earlier, was none other than Ezio.

Neither of you knew what to say to the other. You all but expected him to order you out, but to your surprise, he didn’t. While you searched for the right thing to say, all Ezio could hear was his own inner voice, screaming at him to apologize to you. But Ezio didn’t quite trust himself to speak.

“I looked for you.” You spoke, your voice a bit slurred.

“I had heard.” He said, in a firm tone.

“I’m told you know the truth about me now.” You said in a bit of a sad tone.

“I do.” His voice remained a bit grim.

You had hoped that maybe he would let you explain things now, but he didn’t seem to be in the mood to chat like the two of you used to. It seemed as if he had decided you were not worth his time anymore. It seemed as if his trust in you was gone for good and there was no fixing it.

Accepting defeat, you took a deep breath and said “Don’t worry, I’m leaving. I know when I am not wanted.”

You moved to leave the hideout, already but quickly he grabbed your arm

“Don’t.” He spoke firmly, his face still seemingly cross.

“Don’t do what Ezio?”

“Don’t leave.”

Instantly you were confused. “Why? You ignore me for days, act like I’m a stain on your boots and now you want me to stay?! I think not. Now let me go!”

“Don’t leave” He pleaded, “There is something I must say.”

“And what is that? Let me guess, you want me to leave Roma tonight. Don’t worry. I’ll soon be out of your sight and your life for good, once I finish what I did to Cesare’s face.” You sneered.

“Will you just listen a moment?!” Ezio said. “I’m trying to apologize here!”

“Apologize? What good is an apology after all this?” You said, frustrated by it all.

Ezio felt himself getting more frustrated as well. All he wanted to do was to just get it all out, but you were not having it. Though he didn’t blame you one bit for how you felt, it was that if he didn’t do this now, if he didn’t try to make things right, he would never forgive himself.

“Look, (Y/N),” He said, desperate to get you to stay long enough to hear him out, “You’ve got every reason to want to walk out the door and I don’t blame you for that. But can I at least explain myself?”

“What’s there to explain? You found out the truth about me and like everyone else here you couldn’t handle it!” You retorted, feeling your anger boiling over “Like everyone else you blamed me for something I had no control over. I didn’t want to keep it from you Ezio. It almost drove me mad keeping it from you. But let’s be honest Ezio, would you have worked with me had I told you the truth?!”

Ezio remained frozen in place while you let him have it. You figured by this point there was nothing that would salvage what was between the two of you and if this was to be the end of your partnership with him, you were not going to leave without having your say,

“You wonder why I hid it, it’s because as soon as people find out, this is what happens! Do you know what it is to not be able to be open with others? To know that the blood that runs through a monster like Cesare and Rodrigo and the others flows though me?! Everyone acts as if I had a choice! Well Ezio if I had a choice, I would choose to be anything but a Borgia!! But guess what, I can’t!!!” You screamed, tears streaming down your face, finally letting it all out, not caring who could hear you.

Everything you volleyed at him was true and he couldn’t deny it. So many words and emotions filled Ezio’s heart and mind. All the ways he wanted to say he was sorry for what he had done, but the shame he felt because of it all stilled his tongue, and he worried that all the words in the world wouldn’t be enough.

You stopped to catch your breath. There was more you wanted to say, but you were so exhausted by the last week and with the adrenalin leaving you and the madeira further kicking in, you felt your legs start to give way. You knew you were about to crash out.

Ezio grabbed you before you could fall much further. As he held onto you, he wiped the tears away from your eyes and did his best to fight back the tears in his own eyes. With his face buried in your hair, he kissed the top of your head and whispered the only words that would come forth “I’m so sorry, my love”.

As Ezio brought you in tighter, he accidentally gripped you a bit too tight, causing you to scream out in pain.

He quickly let you go and looked you over. At first he saw no signs of wounds. It wasn’t until he saw you gently massage your hand did he see it, your fingers a broken, bloody and, purple mess

“Let’s get you cleaned up.”

Ezio carefully lead you over to the hearth, sitting you down on the rug to rest while he went to find something to clean the wounds on your hands. After a bit of searching, he managed to find a bottle of wine, an empty bowl, and some clean bandages.

Returning to you, he sat down next to you. You held your hand over the bowl as still as you could while Ezio opened the bottle and carefully poured it over your still aching hand. You bit your lip so hard you nearly drew blood as your hand began throbbing even worse than before. As much as you didn’t want to bother with it, you knew you couldn’t risk it getting worse.

“May I ask how this happened?” Ezio inquired, trying to be as gentle as he could with your swollen fingers.

“I.. had a run in with Cesare. At the Castle.” You said wincing.

“He’s still alive?”

“He was when I left. I had made to finish him off. When he told me.” You replied, the memory of it still fresh,

“Told you what?”

“That you knew about me. Not only that, but he was the one who spilled my secret. He had one of his men spill my secret at the tavern, in the hopes of hurting us both. I’d say he succeeded.” You sadly replied, tears beginning to fill your eyes again, tears which you wiped away quickly. “The bastard.”

“In more ways than one.” Ezio joked, hoping to elicit even a small smile from you. Looking up, he saw a faint trace of one across you face.

Thinking now was as good a time as any, he swallowed his pride and said “I am sorry though, for everything. How I reacted, how I treated you afterwards. Everything. I wish more than anything I could take it all back. That was what I came here to say.”

You said nothing for a moment while you took in Ezio’s words. Though glad to hear them, there was still a bit of uneasiness in your heart and mind. The words would not easily erase the last few days and the both of you knew it.

“How did you know I would be here?” You asked, still considering his apology.

“I didn’t. Well, I had hoped you would be here. If you were here I was going to apologize. And if you weren’t, I was going to stay until I did.” He said, as he finished rinsing off your split knuckles.

Wondering what caused him to quickly change his mind you asked, “May I ask what brought this about?”

“Machiavelli.” Ezio said as he sat down the bottle and reached for the bandages. “I ran into him at the Rosa. He..set me straight.”

Knowing Machiavelli as you did, you could picture him giving Ezio a piece of his mind. Machiavelli had been one of the first members of the Brotherhood to not judge you by your background and you had always been grateful to him for that.

Ezio took the bandages and carefully wrapped it around your hand, fastening it tight enough to hold, or so he hoped. Though he was no expert in the healing arts, he had been in enough scrapes to learn how to bandage a hand well enough.

“There. A bit better.” Ezio said gently. “Should we try and get a sling?”

“No. Just a few days rest I think.” You said, begrudgingly. You hated the fact that you would have to take it easy a day or two, but there was nothing for it.

“Do you want to rest here tonight?” He offered.

“My things are at the Rosa.” You remembered, having stashed them there that morning in a hidden compartment.

“I can take you there if you like.”

Though you were grateful for the offer, you didn’t feel like going anywhere. “I’d say yes, but I’m not in the mood. I’d rather rest where its peaceful. I’ll get them tomorrow.”

“We’ll go in the morning then.” Ezio said. “In the meantime, where do you want to sleep?”

“Here is fine. In front of the hearth. If that’s alright.” You decided, in need of warmth.

Ezio got up to go get some cushions and a blanket. As he gathered things, you started to work on loosening your gear so that you might sleep without them for once. But it was difficult, your still throbbing hand was no help in trying to remove anything

“Allow me.” You heard Ezio say from behind. Setting down the items he went to fetch, he knelt and quickly unbuckled the straps, carefully maneuvering around your injured arm. He sat them down in a neat pile and then carefully helped you remove your hidden blade.

“Thank you.” You said, glad to be free of everything.

“Shall I leave you to rest?” Ezio asked, ready to give you all the space you needed, if you wanted it.

“No, you can stay a bit.” You replied. To your surprise, you found yourself not wanting to be alone and so you made room for Ezio beside you. As he took his seat again, he noticed a bottle sitting close to the fire.

Picking it up carefully, he brought it over to show you.

“What’s this?” He asked.

“It’s Madeira. Or should I say, was.”

“Was?” He chuckled.

“I may or may not have drank it all.” You smiled sheepishly. “I was saving it for when we defeated the Borgia, but after the last week…”

“Is there more?” He asked curiously.

“I only brought the one bottle. I can get more though.”

The both of you laughed, your first real laugh in several days. Ezio sat the empty bottle to the side and took a moment to relax besides you, glad that you were willing to sit and talk with him.

Though things had been somewhat addressed, you still felt a bit uneasy. Getting to patch things up with Ezio was a small start, but you knew that it would take more than an evening to have things back the way they were before.

“I must admit, I’ve missed you.” You confessed gently. “Before today, I was beginning to think you would never want to be around me ever again.”

“Since we are being honest, I’m surprised you would even want to be around me. I wouldn’t want to be around me after this week.” Ezio admitted.

“The Borgias have hurt us both in so many ways.” You mused sadly. “It’s what they do best.”

Thinking it was time to finally tell Ezio the whole truth, you took a deep breath and said “I am sorry for not telling you before.. It’s just that, I had a hard-enough time getting others to trust me that I didn’t wish to go through it again. And my mother didn’t have it much easier.”

“Your mother?” Ezio asked as he took your hand in his

“She was an assassin. And Rodrigo’s mistress for a time. She took no pleasure in it at all, but at the time, it was the closest anyone in the brotherhood had come to infiltrating the Borgia household. So, she had to go along with it, lest all the Brotherhoods plans fail.

Knowing what Rodrigo was like, Ezio could easily guess that your mother was not well treated by him. As he saw the tears form in your eyes, he pulled you carefully into his arms, stroking your hair gently.

After taking a moment to steady yourself, you continued. “Soon after, she became with child, me. Rodrigo wasn’t pleased when he found out. His other mistress Vannozza wanted her tossed out and me not claimed. She was tossed out as soon as I was born, and she was nearly tossed out from the Brotherhood for it. Ironic considering, they had ordered her to go through with it. Rodrigo of course chose to keep me. He told everyone I was simply a ward, but they all knew I was his.”

“Did you ever see her again?” He asked.

“Yes. She would manage to sneak onto the villa grounds and find me. I would only see her for moments at a time. Those moments were the only thing that kept me going.”

“How did you come to escape?”

“When I was about 8 years old, I overheard Juan and Cesare talking one day about my mother and the fact that she was an assassin. I also heard that the only reason Rodrigo kept me was simply so my mother couldn’t haven’t me. He thought that with me as a hostage, the Assassins wouldn’t act against him.”

Hearing your story made Ezio feel even more shame and even filled his eyes with tears, for what you had endured and for even thinking you could possibly be an enemy of his.

“So, after meeting with my mother again, I made plans to escape. I almost didn’t make it out to her, but I did. As soon as she had me safely away, I swore that I would do everything I could to see my family fall. Even joining the Assassins knowing full well the pain it inflicted on my mother. And years later, here I am.” You said, relived to finally have it all out. “There it all is.”

Ezio wished more than anything at that moment he could erase your past, erase all the horrible memories from it and give you a new start in life. But he couldn’t. All he could think to do was hold you close, and ever so gently, he kissed you on your forehead, hoping that it would take your pain away just for a moment.

Feeling his lips on your skin surprised you. While he had held you before, just a few days ago, Ezio had never kissed you. You didn’t know if it was out of just comfort or something else, but it felt good. It felt very good. You had never felt that good before and you wanted more of it.

“Would you kiss me again?” You asked nervously.

“Again?” He asked surprised.

“Again.”

Ezio quickly obliged, planting more than one along your forehead, even leaving a quick one on your nose, making you giggle despite yourself.

“I like that. I like it very much.” You sighed deeply.

Purring in that deep voice of his, Ezio asked. “Would you like more?”

“Mmmhmm.”

“How much more?” He teased.

With a devious smile, you grabbed him by the collar and pulled him in for a kiss, this time on that delightful mouth of his. Ezio thought he might faint for a moment at the feel of your soft lips on his. For so long he had wanted this moment and now that it was here, he didn’t want it to ever stop.

The both of you wrapped your arms tighter around each other as his mouth explored yours. Kisses that started out gentle quickly turned frantic and soon the both of you found your hands roaming all over each other and soon Ezio started to remove his gear.

Once done, he quickly started to loosen your robes. Feeling his hands roaming all over your cause you both to shiver with a mixture of delight and nervousness. Having never been with another like this and knowing Ezio had many partners before you made you anxious.

Ezio quickly sensed your nervousness and stopped. Bringing his face back to yours he asked, “Do you want this?”

For a moment you didn’t know how to answer. So much of you said “yes” but your nerves were beginning to fray more and more, and you weren’t sure how to tell him.

“Have you done this before?” He asked wondering if that’s what was making you hesitate.

Instantly your cheeks burned a bit red at Ezio quickly figuring it out.

“No. I’m..pure. As pure as one can be being a Borgia.” You said a bit embarrassed.

Ezio smiled gently and pulled you closer to him. He wanted more than anything to be with you, but he didn’t wish to push you into something you didn’t feel comfortable doing.

“We don’t have to do this.” He said.

“No..I want to. It’s just that..”

“Do you want me to lead?” He offered sweetly. That bit of sweetness was enough to sooth your nerves just a bit.

“Yes, but. Please be gentle.”

He was gentle, in every way possible. After the two of you finished, Ezio wrapped himself around you and covered you with even more kisses, making you giggle a bit and the feel of his beard on your skin.

You didn’t know what felt better, Ezio holding you, the warmth of the fire or both. Still in a bit of a daze from what the two of you had just done, and having never done it before, you weren’t sure on how to proceed, so you just laid there, the sounds of Ezio’s heart were rather soothing and just enjoyed being in the moment.

Ezio held you tighter to his chest. Even now, after all that had happened he was surprised that you would still wish to be in the same room with him and reflecting on your words from before, he worried that even after all this, you would still leave as soon as you could.

“Do you still plan to leave?” He asked a bit fearfully.

“Not right now.” You replied honestly. You wanted to stay but even with Ezio forgiving you, there was no telling if the others would. “Why?”

“I was hoping that in light of everything that’s happened the last few days…I was hoping that we could perhaps, start again?” He asked hopefully

“Start again? What do you mean?”

“I mean, once this is over, once we defeat the others, would you consider staying here with me, here in Roma?”

“You want me to stay?”

“More than anything” He said firmly.

Although it was everything you wanted to hear, one question still lingered. “But, why?”

“Because I’ve pushed so many good things out of my life, and I almost did the same to you. And if you will permit me, I’d like to make amends for everything. Or at least try to.” He pleaded gently, hoping it would work.

There were so many possibilities racing through your mind. What if things didn’t work? That had happened before. Too many times you wanted to settle somewhere but it never worked. Would it even be possible now?

Sure, it could all fail. But what if it didn’t?. You thought about everything that you and Ezio had built together and seeing the look in his eyes, decided you wanted to build even more with him.

“Start over with a clean slate…I’d like that. But we must settle other matters first.” You warned, knowing that they threat wasn’t over yet.

“We will my love.” Ezio vowed as he pulled you in for another kiss. “I promise we will. Together.”

“Together.” You vowed back as you fell further into Ezio’s arms and looked forward to the next day. But first, other things had to come together.


End file.
